Every man needs his trusty toolbox filled with tools, but sometimes we forget about them and they rust. Here’s how to clean it off in just five minutes.
There’s nothing worse than getting down to some DIY only to find you’ve got a bit of rust on your tools. So with a few homemade recipes, with stuff found in the kitchen, here’s how to clean your rusty tools in just five minutes.
What you’ll need:
Baking soda
Lemon juice
White vinegar
Salt
Steel wool
Wire brush
Chalk
Step 1: Assess the damage
First off, assess your tools to see how badly damaged they are. If your spanner is crumbling away like sand between your fingers then you might be better off buying new ones. However, if there’s only a small coating of rust you may be able to save your tools from the brink.
Step 2: Get mixing – Part 1
There are two methods of getting rust off of tools with just stuff you’ll find lying around the kitchen. The first method is to mix some lemon juice and baking soda into a thick paste. Then spread this over the tools and let it set in. Leave it for a few minutes and wipe away with a dry cloth.
Step 3: Get mixing – Part 2
If you don’t have any lemon juice or baking soda you could use white vinegar and salt. Spray the white vinegar onto the affected areas and then sprinkle with salt. Scrub away the residue with a wire brush and you should be sorted.
Step 4: Final touches
Use a piece of steel wool to smooth off your tools and spray them with WD40 to prevent further rusting. Remember, the best cure is prevention, so make sure to throw a few sticks of blackboard chalk in your tool box to soak up any water.
And don’t worry if it’s still a little bit rusty afterwards. What’s great about tools is, they don’t have to look pretty to work.
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